When you’ve got trade-in leads to follow-up with, you’re hoping to A) get a response B) book an appointment. This one small tweak to your messaging will help you increase the amount of appointments you set.

It’s a hard impulse to fight, that burning desire to cut to the chase and ask “When can you bring your car in?”. Why mess around with small talk? Are you interested in trading in your car, yes or no?

Here’s the thing: cars are a very emotional object. Many people name their cars. In my roster at home I’ve got The White Squirrel, The Black Panther, and Sexy Flexy. 

There’s a story behind those names, and people have stories to share about their vehicles and why they’re thinking of trading them in. 

If you’re looking to improve the amount of appointments you’re booking, the one tweak you’ve got to make is to tap into those personal emotions. 

Before you go for the close, try rotating in one of these two questions into your talk tracks:

That [Make – Model] is a solid car. How has it been for you?

OR 

Why are you thinking of trading in your [Make – Model]?

Having that conversation gives your customer the opportunity to talk about their car, to share the emotional connection they have to the vehicle, whether it’s positive or negative, and that’s going to result in you building rapport with them.

That’s going to make a much smoother transition to speaking about how your dealership handles trade-ins, what makes your approach worth their time, and ultimately setting that appointment.